Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!uunet!virtech!cpcahil
From: cpcahil@virtech.uucp (Conor P. Cahill)
Subject: Re: Two links to a directory?
Message-ID: <1991Jun25.023423.5418@virtech.uucp>
Keywords: links,SysV,directory
Organization: Virtual Technologies Inc.
References: <2030@tssi.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 91 02:34:23 GMT

nolan@tssi.UUCP (Michael Nolan) writes:

>Browsing around on my NCR Tower (SVR2) trying to solve a problem with lock
>files not being deleted by uucico, I discovered that there appear to be two 
>links to a directory, although I had thought that was not permitted in unix.  
>(multiple file links, yes, but not multiple directory links)

The superuser can create links to directories using the link command. While
this is "permitted", I would strongly recommend against it because it
can cause problems with programs like find(1) which walk around the
system by cding into a directory and then cding to ...  

> 1984 drwxrwxrwx  16 uucp     daemon       384 Jun 24 16:02 locks
> 1984 drwxrwxrwx  16 uucp     daemon       384 Jun 24 16:02 uucp

since these are both withing the same parent directory, they won't exhibit
the problems I mentioned with respect to file tree walking.  

>Is this normal and, if not, is it a serious problem? 

I don't know if it is normal for the NEC, but it is not normal for standard
AT&T SV.

> (Is it causing the 
>LCK..tty07 file not to be deleted after an incoming uucico call?)

I doubt it because a program *probably* wouldn't notice that they are 
linked.  

-- 
I guess these are the views of VTI - since it is my consulting company.

Conor P. Cahill              (703)430-9247              uunet!virtech!cpcahil 
Virtual Technologies, Inc.  46030 Manekin Plaza            Sterling, VA 22170